March 2016 TXSTMA Sidelines

Texas Sports Turf Managers Association Txstma.org

Providing education and training for safer and healthier sports turf facilities

Thank you Rusty Walker for your service to the TXSTMA

Spring 2016

A Job Well Done!

2016 President Kevin Lebanik 速 presents 2014-2015 President Rusty Walker CSFM a plaque of appreciation for his years of service to the TXSTMA at the 2015 Annual Meeting.

Growing in 2016 Well I guess it’s safe to say that winter skipped Texas this year, except for one little blizzard in the West. Now that the flowers are blooming and the oh so nice greenish tint is covering the sports fields it is time for us to get 2016 growing.

What do we need to make 2016 a year of growth? We know what we need for our turf to grow right? What do we need for US to grow??

The Philosopher/Rapper Tupac Shakur once said ““I want to grow. I want to be better. You Grow. We all grow. We're made to grow. You either evolve or you disappear.” This may be the first and probably last time I quote Tupac. However, he has a point. We as professionals spend thousands of hours a year growing turf, growing flowers, growing first impressions of our facilities. How much time do we spend growing ourselves? 8 hrs. a year for the state required CEU’s? 4hrs a year for the HR mandated management training?

My dad, the teacher, would always quote Ben Franklin “We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid. Now, he was never calling anyone stupid. Just that we have to always seek knowledge by challenging our minds…growth.

I travel all over the US looking at turfgrass, looking at flowers, shrubs, nature. Texas, hands down has some of the best sports facilities in the country. These facilities are meticulously managed by some of the best staff in the country. The TXSTMA has the challenge of growth as well. Not to grow membership but to grow opportunities for YOU. Opportunities for you to gain knowledge. Opportunities for you to grow your network of others just like you. Others facing the same challenges you face every day. Others have experienced success at a project you have just been handed.

This year the TXSTMA has field days scheduled throughout the state. We will have opportunities for you to grow at field days at professional baseball facilities in Houston and Austin. At Universities in all 3 regions, and West Texas. We have partnered with the leading Turgrass Ph.D. professors and Industry leaders to give you access to industry leading research and networking. Most important to your growth in 2016, we want you to gain knowledge from your peers! Ask the ISD in Dallas how he “did it”, and take these ideas back to Houston. See how the Astros do it and try and build that tool at your fields in Lubbock.

Here is a thought from John Maxwell. “Make a point to continually search for a better way of doing things, even when things are going well, to ensure that a better alternative has not been overlooked and to keep your creative talents in practice.”

Please let me know if there is anything I can ever help with in your year of growth!

Sincerely Kevin Lebanik 817-659-9111 cell

2016 Event Schedule to be Announced Soon!

Check your email and watch txstma.org for announcements for events in all three regions. In 2016 we are planning to visit each of the three regions in the Spring and Fall. We will also participate in the Texas Tech and Texas A&M Field Days as well as the Texas Turfgrass Conference. We are also planning to host our very popular Scholarship Fundraiser Clay Shoots. It is going to be an exciting year!

Thank you to our 2015 Star Sponsors. Your generous support is greatly appreciated. 2016 Sponsorships are now available CLICK HERE FOR 2016 SPONSOR PROGRAM

Click Logos to Visit Company Website 2015 Three-Star Sponsors 2015 One Star Sponsors

2015 Two-Star Sponsors

The Leo Goertz Student Internship Grant was designed to honor Leo Goertz’s legacy of serving as a mentor to countless students by providing hands-on learning experiences in the sports turf industry. This grant will be awarded to a student enrolled in an accredited college or university who is performing an internship under the guidance of a sports field manager at a professional, collegiate, or recreational athletic facility. This award is intended to help students with moving and/or living expenses associated with performing an internship and to make this experience more accessible to students interested in sports turf management.

Details of this grant as are as follows 

This grant is open to students interested in working in sports turf management and does not depend on them being enrolled in a turfgrass management program.

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This grant is open to students attending a college or university in Texas, or to students attending a college or university outside of Texas but performing their internship in Texas.

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Applications for this grant are due on May 1st during the year the student is performing the internship.

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CLICK HERE FOR PDF VERSION OF APPLICATION

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VISIT TXSTMA.org TO DOWNLOAD A WORD DOC VERSION OF THE APPLICATION

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Thanks to Dr. Joey Young of Texas Tech University for writing a heartfelt tribute to Leo Goertz in the STMA publication SPORTSTURF March Edition You can view the article HERE The article starts on page 30 TXSTMA lost Dr. Jim McAfee (L) and Leo Goertz (R) in 2015

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Are You Connected with TXSTMA? We hope you are enjoying all of the new communication vehicles we are using to reach our members! Please make sure your email address is current so you don’t miss out.

Let us know at txstmainfo@yahoo.com You can also “Like” us on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter!

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@TXSTM

The TXSTMA held its 2015 Annual Meeting at the Texas Turfgrass Conference in San Antonio. 2014 2015 President Rusty Walker covered a very successful year with a review of the Field Day events, membership growth and association finances. Rusty also took a moment to remember Leo Goertz.

At the meeting, the membership approved Bylaw and Financial Policy proposals that will go in to effect in 2016. The membership also approved the 2016 slate of officer and director candidates. Kevin Lebanik was elected President and presented Rusty Walker with a plaque of appreciation for his many years of service to the TXSTMA. Special thanks to all who attended and participated in this important meeting. Also, a big thank you to our 2015 Annual Meeting Lunch Sponsors. They made it a great day. See you all in 2016!

Thank You to our 2015 Annual Meeting Lunch Sponsors!

The TXSTMA approved revisions to the official bylaws and adopted a new Financial Policy at the 2015 Annual Meeting. The changes to the bylaws were recommended by the TXSTMA Board of Directors in order to clarify some questions that have arisen in the past. The STMA has also reviewed the document and offered recommended changes.

PASSED

Attached to the links below are the approved bylaw changes as well as a Proposed Finance Policy. Please take the time to review these documents and contact the TXSTMA office or any Director if you have any questions or comments.

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Approved Proposals: 2015 Bylaw Recommendations 2015 Finance Policy Proposal

The TXSTMA Board of Directors is very excited to introduce the 2016 Advertising and Sponsorship program that will provide you with terrific opportunities to reach your customers. This program was initiated in 2015 to utilize new communication avenues that were successfully created and utilized during the year. These new communication avenues include: Email Newsletter - “Scoreboard”

Email Blast Communications – Job Announcements and “Quick Hits” We also made significant improvements to existing avenues that will enhance advertising value. These include: Updated and improved website – home page advertising New look newsletter – “Sidelines” – expanded content, fresh design MENU – 2016 Advertising and Sponsorships Newsletter Advertising - 4 issues (price is per issue) Full Page Ad

$

500

Half Page Ad

$

250

Quarter Page Ad

$

200

Business Card Ad

$

150

Field Day Sponsorship - 3 Events (price is per event) Gold Sponsorship

$

500

Silver Sponsorship

$

250

Bronze Sponsorship

$

100

Lunch Sponsorship

$

200

Clay Shoot Sponsorship - 3 Events (price is per event) Gold Sponsorship

$

1,000

Silver Sponsorship

$

750

Bronze Sponsorship

$

400

Lunch Sponsorship

$

200

$

200

Annual Meeting Lunch Sponsorship held at TTA Conference

Event recognition – banner, table signs, announcements Our goal is to preserve the advertising and sponsorship opportunities that you have supported and utilized in the past.

Many of you already support the association through your newsletter advertising and event sponsorships and we want to continue these successful opportunities in 2016.

The sponsorship opportunities that will remain in place for 2016 are included in the chart on this page.

Click here to view 2016 Sponsor Program and to reserve your spot today!

@Aggieturf Casey Reynolds 1st official copy of 2016 Texas Turfgrass Pest Control Guide! 121 pages of control recommendations, available in April!

Not your average backyard!

Dr. John Sorochan, Distinguished Professor of Turfgrass Science at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, crafted this natural grass playing surface for his son's birthday party.

Follow STMA #TURFTIPS on Twitter and Facebook

United States Golf Association Turfgrasses Playing Big Role in Safety of NFL Fields Grass is a big deal in football – a really big deal. Nearly every day of the week, untold millions of people watch players step out onto lush, green fields painted with white.

All aspects of the game are tough. Even growing and maintaining a real turfgrass field has its challenges, like freezing temperatures, rain, and damage from tackles and foot traffic. So what type of grass can hold up to all that? Turfgrass breeders throughout the land-grant university cooperative extension system, as well as USDA researchers from Agricultural Research Service, are working to answer that question. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) supports their research with Hatch Act funding.

The USGA has cooperated with the USDA and land-grant universities developing turfgrass varieties for the golf course since 1921. Many of the improved cultivars used for fairways are often adapted to football fields. Many of these USGA supported projects have received multi-million dollar grants from NIFA to develop and improve turfgrass varieties.

At the game’s highest level, 17 of 32 National Football League (NFL) teams play on real grass instead of synthetic materials. Just like golf courses, those teams employ a turf or field manager to grow, improve, and maintain their turfgrass.

The first two priorities for a turf manager are to make the field safe and playable. The NFL has tight standards for a field’s ability to absorb shock and tests the fields before every game. Anything too hard or soft is dangerous for players and can increase the frequency and seriousness of injury.

Turfgrass developed with the support of the USGA is being used in several stadiums that are the home to NFL teams, including FedExField in Landover, Md. (USGA)

Not your average lawn grass, sports turfgrass needs to be strong, dense, and able to withstand changes in temperature. Horticultural scientists test these characteristics at land-grant universities across the country. Kentucky bluegrass, Bermudagrass, and tall fescue are grass species best suited for sports turf.

The varieties that land-grant universities develop are sometimes patented. For example, the Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, Tennessee Titans, and Cleveland Browns use a Bermudagrass hybrid called “Latitude 36,” developed and patented by the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Extension Service. Latitude 36 is known to have excellent traffic tolerance and recuperation rate, improved cold hardiness, and excellent color, texture, density, and uniformity.

Latitude 36 was initially developed for golf course fairways with a research grant from the USGA. Developing cold-hardy, fine-textured Bermudagrass cultivars for fairways led to national recognition and adoption by the NFL and other athletic organizations. The wide acceptance by golf and other professional sports is an indication that the researchers did their jobs well, said Dennis Martin, OSU Cooperative Extension turfgrass specialist. “It’s very important that the intended audience is confident enough to install and use Latitude 36. That means that not only did we do our job and assess the market correctly, but also that the market is accepting the product,” Martin said.

Another golf fairway variety supported by the USGA, “Tifway 419,” developed at the University of Georgia’s Coastal Plain Agricultural Experiment Center, grows on the fields of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Arizona Cardinals.

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STMA Reaches New Heights in

San Diego!

San Diego played host to one of the most successful conferences on record for STMA . Approximately 1200 attendees were represented from 48 states. A record high of 175 exhibitors sold out the trade show floor and with more than 600 exhibitor personnel on-site, created the largest conference STMA has hosted. Attendees and exhibitors agreed it was an exceptional event.

Here is a sampling of comments STMA received: "This was the first time that I had ever been to San Diego and the STMA national conference, and it has left lasting memories."

"I would just like to add my thanks to you and the STMA and as a "first timer" I was impressed by the whole week and in particular the education program."

"San Diego was by far the best STMA show I have attended since 2005. The venue was perfect."

"Everyone I have spoken with had a great time and found it very worthwhile -- this included exhibitors and visitors as well."

"I spoke with many attendees and they all agreed that this was the best conference to date, everything from the golf outing to trade show to banquet dinner was in perfect order and went off without a hitch."

"I just wanted to say thank you to you and all

of the STMA Directors for putting on another wonderful conference. It is always such a great way to start the new year and get everyone motivated to be the best groundskeepers, and people, that we can be."

If you were unable to attend, STMA is offering recordings of the Education Sessions.

Don't miss the chance to see photos of all of your friends!

STMA and SAFE thanks its conference sponsors for their support in making this a valuable learning and networking event for attendees. The sponsors include Barenbrug, Beacon Athletics, Bush Sports Turf, Carolina Green, Covermaster, Diamond Pro, Ewing, FIELDS Inc., Gail Materials, Graff's Turf, GreenOne Industries, Hunter, John Deere, JSM Services, Kubota, Pioneer, Rain Bird, Syngenta, Team Premier Pro, Toro, Turface Athletics, TurfStar, Vescio Sports Fields, and World Class Athletics.

At the STMA Annual Meeting, held Jan. 21 in San Diego, Calif., the 2016 Board of Directors officially took office. Following its introduction to the membership, newly elected President Salmond made two appointments. Those appointed to the Board include Jeff Fowler, Penn State Extension (left), to the At-Large Director position, and Randy Price, Tri-Tex Grass to the Commercial Director position.

2016 STMA Board of Directors Take Office in San Diego The 2016 STMA Board of Directors also includes: Immediate Past President: Allen Johnson, CSFM, Green Bay Packers, Green Bay, WI President: Jeff Salmond, CSFM, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK President-Elect: Tim Van Loo, CSFM, Iowa State University, Ames, IA Commercial VP: Doug Schattinger, Pioneer Athletics, Cleveland, OH Secretary/Treasurer: Sarah Martin, CSFM, City of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ Academic: Beth Guertal, Ph.D., Auburn University, Auburn, AL Higher Education: Nick McKenna, CSFM, Texas A&M, College Station, TX Parks & Rec: Jimmy Simpson, CSFM, Town of Cary, Cary, NC At-Large Elected: Weston Appelfeller, CSFM, Columbus Crew SC, Columbus, OH Professional Facilities: Dan Bergstrom, Houston Astros, Houston, TX Schools K-12: Bobby Behr, CSFM, Ashley Ridge High School, Summerville, SC

Jeff Salmon, CSFM

Nick McKenna, CSFM

Dan Bergstrom

Randy Price

At its winter board meeting, the SAFE Foundation unanimously voted to establish a grant to honor Leo Goertz, a longtime member who recently passed away. The grant will annually fund $1500 in conference expenses for a member of a chapter to attend the STMA national conference and exhibition. In addition, STMA will provide a complimentary conference registration.

In memory of Leo Goertz his chair at the Silent Auction for the Safe Foundation

The STMA Scholarship Committee will be developing the criteria for the award, and the SAFE Foundation will be soliciting donations to fund this grant. If you are interested in donating to this grant, please click here.

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AgriLife Extension researcher comparing turfgrass varieties under Texas conditions Not every grass is a good fit for home lawns, golf courses or athletic playing fields, so turfgrass researcher Dr. Casey Reynolds is testing varieties and comparing them side by side under Texas conditions as a part of the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program.

Reynolds, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service turfgrass specialist in College Station, is joined by Dr. Matt Elmore, an AgriLife Extension turfgrass specialist who is growing additional trials at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas.

“The primary objective of these NTEP trials is to evaluate new and emerging varieties for their performance in southern and southeastern transition zone environments,” he said. “So, what that means is we plant grasses such as zoysiagrass, Bermuda grass, seashore paspalum and St. Augustine, because we know these species persist and do well in the southern United States and we evaluate them on an equal level.”

Reynolds said the AgriLife Extension trials at both locations include approximately 100 grass varieties, and the College Station trials were recently featured at the Texas A&M AgriLife Turfgrass and Landscape Field Day. “We’ll take, for example, the NTEP zoysiagrass trial comprised of 30 or so different varieties and compare them to each other based on quality, color, leaf texture, density, drought hardiness, performance and pest incidence,” he said.

The National Turfgrass Evaluation Program then takes that data from this location and data from throughout the U.S. at other cooperating universities and compiles it.

“This way a producer or a customer or anyone who is interested in planting a new variety can look and see an independent source of data and use it to evaluate whether or not that grass is a good fit for their needs,” Reynolds said.

“For instance, we may have a zoysia grass that may do great in terms of how it performs under drought, and next to it one that may look a little better, but the data tells us it may not perform as well under drought,” he said.

Click photo to view video

NTEP is a great way to organize all that data and compare varieties.

That’s an important thing to understand when selecting a grass variety, Reynolds said, “because we all know in the southern United States drought is always an issue and will continue to be an issue.

We certainly want to breed and select grasses that do well in hot, dry climates.

During the turfgrass field day, Reynolds asked the clients attending to place a flag in the plots that they thought looked the best.

“It was interesting to see that a lot of the flags were placed in the same plots,” he said. “I personally like a grass that has dark color, that has finer leaf texture and that has good density.”

Reynolds stood near two plots of grass with a big difference in texture, one rated four on texture and the other an eight. Looking at the data, he said, the eight is going to be a much nicer grass, “especially if you are on a golf course tee box, where texture is probably a bigger deal than if you are on a home lawn.

“But if you are a landscaper comparing the two species and you look at the drought data, you might say, ‘I don’t care how fine the texture is if I can’t keep it alive, texture doesn’t matter.’ So your selection may change.”

Reynolds said it is important not to get hung up on having the latest new variety – sometimes if it is not broke, why try to fix it?

“With the data we collect, we try to do it in a manner that is going to be reflective upon how people are going to view these grasses when they get to their home or their golf course or athletic field and whether it is going to fit into their environmental conditions.”

Results of the NTEP trials at College Station and Dallas can be found at http://www.ntep.org/. Other information on turfgrass species and variety selection for Texas can be found at https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/ texas-turfgrasses.

Article by Kay Ledbetter skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu

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Delivering the Gift of Green Space to New Homeowners Project EverGreen Partners With Turfgrass Producers International and Houston Habitat for Humanity on Home Projects

Project EverGreen, Turfgrass Producers International and Houston Habitat for Humanity joined forces to install lawns and landscapes to five new homes in Houston’s Harrell Park subdivision.

TPI members Advanced Equipment Sales, Brouwer Kesmac, FireFly Equipment, Northwest Tillers, Progressive Turf Equipment, Redexim North America, Trebro Manufacturing and Trimax Mowing Systems contributed to purchase nearly 22,000 sq. ft. of harvested sod from Houston-area sod farm, All Seasons Turf Grass.

Project EverGreen and the Brickman Group provided the landscape materials and labor to install, with the assistance of Habitat for Humanity volunteers, more than 75 ornamental plants and trees to the five houses.

The project includes installation of oak trees and an assortment of azaleas, boxwoods, gardenias and ferns, and mulch around the five homes to create landscape beds that complement the new turf, and create green spaces the new owners and their families can enjoy.

“Project EverGreen is proud to partner with TPI and Houston Habitat for Humanity to bring managed green spaces to these new homes and neighborhoods,” said Cindy Code, executive director of Project EverGreen.

“Lawns, landscapes and plants turn houses into homes and neighborhoods into communities. The end result is safer, heathier and more connected communities.”

Numerous research studies have shown that the presence of well-maintained green spaces in communities offers numerous social, economic and lifestyle benefits. Some of the benefits include:

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Trees, shrubs and turf remove smoke, dust and other pollutants from the air.

One tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.

Natural grass recharges and filters groundwater supply and reduces storm water runoff

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Not only does your lawn release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, it lowers temperatures caused by soil and hard surfaces. Lawns can be 31 degrees cooler than asphalt and 20 degrees cooler than bare soil.  Green spaces improve mental functioning and physical well-being. In fact, residents of areas with the highest levels of greenery were 40 percent less likely to be overweight or obese compared to those living in less green space.  The proper placement of just three trees around a home reduces interior house temperatures, allow air conditioning units to run more efficiently and offer homeowners $100 to $250 in savings annually.  Smart Money magazine indicated that consumers value a landscaped home up 11 percent higher than its base price.

“Our members are pleased to have an opportunity to work with these two respected organizations and to be able to give back to the Houston community that will be hosting the TPI 2016 International Education Conference & Field Day,” said Melanie Stanton, executive director of Turfgrass Producers International. “Natural grass lawns provide homeowners and neighborhoods with numerous environmental, economic, social and health benefits that are often taken for granted.”

Project EverGreen’s mission is to preserve and enhance green spaces in our communities where we live, work and play.

Your Donation Helps Restore Green Spaces in Your Community.

Please Donate Today! Project EverGreen is a 501(c)3 organization.

DONATE HERE!

It is that time of year!

Time to renew your membership for 2016 The Texas STMA was established in 2004 by merging the North and South Texas STMA chapters to better serve sports turf professionals and the turfgrass industry in Texas. Our organization is comprised of professional turf managers across the state that manage college and university facilities, parks and recreation departments, school districts, private sport facilities, and professional sport venues. Our membership also includes turfgrass researchers, commercial suppliers, coaches and students pursuing a career in sports turf management. As you can see, we have a very broad range of members.

Texas STMA provides its members several opportunities throughout the year to network, share ideas, learn the latest research, and hear from top experts in the industry. Held at selected locations around the state, our events allow each member the chance to gain a better understanding of the sports turf manager's role in ensuring facility users have a safe and healthy sports turf to play on. These opportunities include: * Regional Educational Field Days and Workshops * Special Facility Tours * Annual Meeting & Luncheon held in conjunction with the Texas Turfgrass Conference * Vendor Exhibits * Equipment Demonstrations Our members also benefit from many programs and services unique to our industry. * Access to TXSTMA.org website providing industry and association news, turfgrass resources, & technical information * Email, Facebook, and Twitter communication for instant delivery of news and information * The Cody Hobbs Professional Member Scholarship award; The Dr. James McAfee Student Scholarship award * Sports turf manager Job Opportunities delivered to members via email and website. Resume posting service available to members on website * Coaches Corner – special section available to Texas coaches to have their field and technical questions answered by Texas STMA professionals I welcome and encourage you to become a member of Texas STMA soon. I know we can help you in your professional development, as well as any personal goals that you have set for yourself. Please take the time to visit our website at txstma.org often to get answers to any questions you might have. If you don’t find the answers or resource you are searching for please email a board member and we will try to assist you in any way possible. Our chapter executive team is also ready and willing to help you in any way – Carol Cloud, carolcloud@txstma.org, 682-583-3143.

New Member Application 2016 Membership Renewal Please don’t forget to go to the “Membership Payment” tab upon completion of your application to make payment for your 2016 membership.

Executive Directors: President: Kevin Lebanik—Harrell's, Klebanik@harrells.com Past President: Rusty Walker, CSFM—City of Grapevine, rwalker@grapevinetexas.gov President - Elect: Brian Piper - City of Austin, Brian.piper@austintexas.gov 1st Commercial Vice Pres: Darin Eberly—Pioneer Manuf. Co., deberly@pioneerathletics.com 2nd Commercial Vice Pres: John Kearns—Professional Turf Products, kearnsj@proturf.com Treasurer:

Nick McKenna, CSFM— Texas A&M University, nmckenna@athletics.tamu.edu

Committee Directors: Advertising: Will Dutton - Professional Turf Products, duttonw@proturf.com Communication Committee: Dan Bergstrom—Houston Astros, dbergstrom@astros.com Region I (DFW): Allen Reed, CSFM, FC Dallas, areed@fcdallas.net Region II (Austin/San Antonio): Michael Piñon, San Antonio ISD, michaelpinon@yahoo.com Region III (Houston): Kevin Hansen, Houston Texans Membership: Brant Williams, CSFM Scholarship: Chris Pitts, Clear Creek ISD, chpitts@ccisd.net Chapter Executive: Carol Cloud, Carolcloud@txstma.org, (817) 736-0727

Texas Sports Turf Managers Association Providing education and training for safer and healthier sports turf facilities Txstma.org txstmainfo@ yahoo.com (817) 736-0727 5552 Plata Lane Benbrook, TX 76126

Spring 2016 Issue

Save the date!

July 11 - Field Day details coming soon